Attachment for feeding cupped articles



B. AND S. lKAGY.

ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING CUPPED ARTICLES.

APPucATioN FILED APR.2|.'|,92|.

Patented May 2, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

B. AND s. NAGY.

'ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING CUPPED ARTICLES.

AxPLlcATloN FILED Anzi, 192|.A

1 ,414,786, Y i v Patented May 2, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET .2

wl mamy.

BERTHOM) NAGY .Aim srnrrrnn. Nacif, orv BROOKLYN', NEW vom;

ATTACHMENT' non: snnonvo'cnrrn'n neurones. e

appiication tied Apriieifisi. seriaiiroifieazar i f To all whom t may concern f Beit known that we, BnR'riioLD NAGY.

and STEPHEN Neer, both subjects of the King` of Hungary, residingat the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York77V county of Kings, and State of New York,

have invented certain new` and .useful lmprovements in Attachments for .Feeding @upped Articles, of which` thefollow'ing is a-specication, reference being had-therein to .the accompanyino drawings which forni` a part thereof.

lQur invention .relates .to an attacrimerit' for feedine cupped articles. and particularly tothe feeding of such articles withrelation to other mechanismsfor doing work thereon wherein it is required to present cupped ar.-

ticles iii rapid succession, with each: infa particular position. v

A machine embodyingour invention. is so constructed that the cupped articles to be fed may be charged thereiiito in bullnf and delivered therefrom oner at a time inrapid succession, all articles having thesame posi-l tion when delivered.

Since the articles are charged into a hop;

per in bulln it is notonly necessary to provide a chute adapted to `receive and deliverv only one article at a time, but torprovide in conjunction `with the. hoppera mechanism which will ensure the delivery of each article to the chute only in the properposition` and prevent t-he obstruction ot the outlet to the hopper by improperly positioned articles.

VAn attachment made in accordance with our invention is designed to feed any cupped,

ticles projects within the outlet of the hop-lv pei", and while the chute communicates Vwith this mechanism only at one point, the are "ticles may pass through the outlet atany point thereoiz about said mechanism, thus ensuring the continuous feed ot an adequate number ot the articles to the chute notwithT standing the possibilityv of the jamming of the articles and their frequent improper positioning, to, correct which requires a constant agitation of the articles adjacent `theA outlety of the hopper,l

the articles to Ydescend therein without change otposition. y Y

Aeinachine embodyingv therein our inven-r tion is so constructed as to deliver the cupped.

speieacaaqn of beitel-prirent. patented-May 2, 192g The positioning mechanism adjacent and within the outlet of the hopper, is capable of adjustment' rwith lrelation t0 the delivery .head so as 'to accommodat'ev the Vattachment to articleshavingV substantially the samer-*diameter but different dept-hs7V it be? ingfnecessary to, vary `the dimensions ot the chute, 'the delivery head' andthe positioning mechanism, to adapt the attachment tor use with articles having' any substantial variance invthteir diameters." ln'othe'r words, each attachment must be @te Size proportioii'ed tothe diameter of the artigjles to 'be ticles to the chuteVive proi'fide an intermittently actuated 'agitating deviceivhich will I Adjacent point o'f'delivery ofthe are l. l

ensure proper clearance for the passage of? i articles into thegchute-i and `thuisavoid pos-'- sibility `of the". clogging of the feed attache ment through the jamming of the articles at the entrance to the chute.

The. construction; of the 'deiivery head associated with the positioning mechanism is suchl thateach article, as it is properly positioned, will pass bygravity toward the entrance to lthechute andbe restrained dur.-

ing` this,movement-7 againstlany such, possibleV turning action as `will result in a loss ,ot itsr position, the runway oit the vchute permitting by stanti VThe invention consistsdvprimarily in an attachment for feeding cupped articles 4conf` Sistine of :aV hopper* adaptedA to, receive cupped articles yin "bulle having' an inclined` bottoni leading to an outlet opening therein, Y

avv chute through which4 said articles are f adapted to descend by gravity,V a' delivery head opening into said `hopper outlet and havingtherein a runway terminatingadjacentjthe ,inlet of'said chute, a positioning' device co-operatiiig with said delivery head comprising a` rotatable memberv having aY rounded. portion YV presented .to'wards v said hopper, and extending adj-aeentand within the; open top. of said deliveryhead, -vvhere-gV tion of parts as are yhereinafter set forth and i described. and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. l is a side view of an attachment embodying our invention shown partially in section and partly in elevation;

2 is a plan view thereof with the hopper removed and upon a slightly enlarged scale; and Y Fig, 3 is a detail sectional view V'through the delivery head and the positioning device Like letters refer to like parts throughou c the several views.

ln the embodiment of our invention shown in thel drawings, we provide a hopper a adapted to receive in bulk the cupped` articles to be fed, said hopper having a bottom Youtlet opening indicated at a, the converging inclined bottom of the hopper merging into the open top of a delivery head b. The upper edge of the top of said head is bevelled as at bf to permit the cupped articles when properly positioned to pass freely from the hopper into the delivery head.

rlhe head for convenience of production and assembling is made in two pieces as shown, united by means of a screw-threaded joint, one of said pieces being carried by the hopper a and the other being supported by a suitable bracket c. V

Nithin the head b is a sleeve d having its upper face pitched in opposite directions as shown, thus forming oppositely declined tracks (ZL-cl2, both of which terminate adjacent and above the inlet end of the chute c, the low points thereof being spaced apart sufficiently to permit the unobstructed passage therebetween vof the articles to be fed. This sleeve is secured to the head and remains stationary during the operation of the attachment. Y s

Above the tracks at the top of the sleeve is a runaway d3, the top of which opens into the hopper through an inwardly curved channel b2, the portion thereof adjacent and above said sleeve being cylindrical.

Rotatably mounted within the head b is a positioning device f, the lower portion of which is cylindrical and the top of which is curved or hemispherical, as shown at f', the

radius of this spherical portion being sub'- stantially coincident with that of the curved wall of the channel 52 of the head Z) so as to leave an entrance passage between the walll of said head'and said positioning device of substantially the same width throughout, although this width, as will more fully `appear hereinafter, may be increased or diminished to accommodate the attachment to cupped articles havings skirts of diiferent depths.

The radius of the top f of the member f and of the wall of the channel b2 adjacent thereto, will be determined by the diameter of the article to be fed, different sized articles requiring attachments having different dimensions in direct proportion to the variance in the diameters of the articles, although the adjustment above referred to will compensate for slight variations in the diameters .as well as in the depth of the skirts of such articles. Y The Lmember f is carriedby a vertically tending shaft g which may be connected to any desired source of power' in any desired manner as by means of the pulley z/ and in termeshing gears L-t2, the shaft g losingk splined tothe gear 7L so as to permit vertical y movement of the member y The upper portion of the shaft g is mounted in a bushing c' adjustably mountedin a bracket j as by means of co-operating screw threads on said bushing and said bracket, thus permitting the member 7" to be raised or lowered to vary the width of the entrance of the channel b2 formed between said member and the upper curved wall of the head b.'

The dimensions of the runway d3 below Vthe channel b2 remain substantially constant, the sole function of this runway being to permit the articles to descend by gravity toward the chute while preventing the turning of the articles after they have once entered theY delivery head.

Carried by and revoluble with 'the`y member f is an agitator 7c which is formed as shown, so as toprojectwithin the mass of articles within the hopper d above ,and about the outlet a', this agitator being shown as a single strand of wire which, if desired, may have slight resiliency. The cud of said agitator extends substantially parallel with the bevelled portion of the head .72 but terminates at a point spacec. away from the top It of the member so to not interfere with articles entering the channel 52 between said member and the curved wall of the upper portion of the head vThis con.- struction permits the icles to enter the delivery head at any point about the portion f of the member f, articles, during the operation of the attachment, frequently falling into the runway als towards or upon the tracks oZ-cl2 at a number'of points thereof simultaneously. Said runway usually con tains articles in excess of those required to keep the chute e completely filled, thus'ensuring a continuous, and adequate supply of the articles at the delivery end of ,the

naief/lee chute and placing no limitation upon the speed of the mechanism 'with whichthe attachment is associated, by reasonof the failureeto properly' deliver the articles in relation thereto,

While the agitator It' will prei-'ent such congestion of the .articles adjacent the outletV of the hopper asl will prevent the rapid feeding thereof towards ,the runway' d3, there is always a possibility .that the articles may become jammed adjacent the in-V let to the chute e. To avoid such jamming, we provide an intermittently operative agitatingdevice which ina-y be aptly calledfa jam breaker7 consisting of the spring 722 disposed intermediate the adjacent ends of the tracks aV-(Z2, which is adapted to be engaged by tappets mfm2 projecting from theunder face of the member f, thus afford- Ving.additional cleararlee for the passage of cupped form to be suitable for use in the attachment, are delivered Vin bulk to the* hopper a being delivered one at a time ink rapid succession to the chute e by means of the delivery head and its co-operating positioning member f. When the hopper has been filled, the member f is rotated at fairly high speed so as to cause the agitator 74 to act upon the mass of articles adjacent the outlet of the hopper to cause such a tumbling action thereof as will bring at least some. of theV articles with the edge of the skirt presented'toward the rounded surtaceA f of the member f. Those articles which are thus presented will slide freely through the opening between this top and the top of the' curved portion of the delivery head, but such articles as are presented with the skirtioutwardly, or away from said member f, will be sof positioned as to cause the shirt vto enga-gethe` bevelled portion b and thus be prevented from. entering the runway above the tracl-:s at the topiV of the sleeve al.

member'f a'number of articles will bey properly presented with relation to the top rounded .surface thereof, thus causing a plurality of the articles to simultaneously enter the runway between said member and the deliveryl headat different points thereof, the

.form of runway shown permitting all such articles to. immediately descend by gravity and with a rolling motion` to adjacent the inlet ofV the chute.

The curvature of the top f, of the member f and of the coeoper-ating wall Z9? of the head e 6 will .cause properly positioned 'articles .to be out ofthe path ofthe endet the agitator even though the runway be completely filled with the articles. *A y g The device is dependent for operation upon the `condition that if the skirt of the cupped portion is presented toward the surface of thetop f', the curvature of this surface will permit the article to be suthciently1 close thereto to pass between this'surface and the-curved wall b2, but if on the contrary the skirt. be presented away fromv this surface,f

the radius VOf the arc of movement lof the edge of the skirt with relation tothe radius f of the wall of the curved portion b2 willv be so great as to causethesliirt to engageV the- Y bevel'ledl portion b', Hence the delivery mechanism and the postioning'member actA vselectively in delivering `only those articles which are properly positioned, rejecting all 'improperly positioned articles.

The spring m acting between the ends of the track forming the bottom of the runway serves merely to prevent the cloggingof the runway d3. adjacentthe inlet to the chute e and is `used-fas a safeguardtoensure the con-4 tinuous supply ofan adequate number vof articlesto the chute and prevent any limitation' upon the capacityv of the mechanism with which'the attachmentis used. i

VVhile'the width of the .runway d3 will define the maximum depth of the skirt of the article to `be fed by the attachment, lthe upward vertical Vadjustment of the member 'f l '100 of the same diameter but a narrower skirt.

permits the attachment to be set for articles -This adjustmentmay be securle'deither by means of the adjustable bushing i or if desired, by raising 0r lowering the upper-.porltion of the head Zz withrelation 'to the meinshown. at the lower end thereof, the articles will be delivered with the. edgel of the skirt presented upwardly` it being apparent that- With the .delivery chute e formed as if it be desired to deliver the articles with.`

the edge ofthe shirt presented downwardly,

it ismerelylnecessary toi-reverse the directionv of projection of the lower end of said chute. By employing tracksv de-Z2 oppositely pitched las shown, vthe -.articles may Vapproach i A the inlet to thD chute e from opposite direc- @rdinarily with each rotation of the.

carried thereby ,may be employedythe seleci tion of a driving mechanismffor said shaft being a mere matter of mechanicalskill., and

the adaptability of the attachment to conditions about the machine with which it is used.

It is not our intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what wc claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

l. An attachment for feeding cupped articles consisting of a hopper adapted to receive cupped articles in bullr, having an inclined bottom leading to an outlet opening therein, a chute through which said articles areA adapted to descend by gravity, a delivery head opening into said hopper outlet and having therein a runway inclining towards and terminating adjacent the inlet of said chute, a positioning device cooperating withI said delivery head comprising a rotatable member having a cylindrical portion concentric with and within said runway and a rounded portion presented towards said hopper, and extending adjacent and within the open top of said delivery head, whereby said articles are permitted to pass between said positioning device at any point thereof and the `wall of said delivery head only when the cupped side thereof is presented toward said rounded surface, an agitator within said hopper adjacent said delivery head, and means whereby said positioning device and said agitator are actuated.

2. An attachment for feeding cupped articles consisting of a hopper adapted to ref ceive cupped articles in bulk, having anV inclined bottom leading to an outlet opening therein, a chut-e through which said articles are adapted to descend by gravity, a delivery head opening into said hopper outlet and having therein a runway inclining towards and terminating adjacent thc inlet ofsaid chute a nositioninfr device coo eratinp with 7 h g said delivery head comprising a rotatable memberhaving a cylindrical portion cone centric with and within said runway and a rounded portion presented towards said hopper, and extending adjacent and within the open top of said delivery head, whereby said articles are permitted to pass between said positioning device atV any point'thereof and Vthe wall of said delivery head only when the cupped side thereof is presented toward said rounded surface, an agitator within-said hopper adjacent Lsaid delivery head, means whereby said positioning device and said agitator areactuated, an agitator adjacent the outlet of said runway and the inlet of said chute, and means whereby said agitator is actuated to prevent jamming of articles at the inlet of said chute.

3. An attachment for feeding cupped naief/ec articles consisting of a hopper adapted to receive cupped articles in bullr, having an inclined bottom leading to an outlet opening therein, a chute through which said articles are adapted to descend by gravity, a delivery head opening into said hopper outlet and having therein a runway inclining towards and terminating adjacent the inlet of said chute, a positioning device cooperating with said delivery head comprising a` rotatable member having a cylindrical portion concentric with and within said runway and a rounded portion presented towards said hopper, and extending adjacent and withiny the open top of said deliveiyhead, whereby said articles are permitted to pass between said positioning device at any point thereof and the wall of said delivery head only when the cupped side thereof is presented toward said rounded surface, means whereby said positioning device may be adjusted with relation to said head to vary the width of the entrance passage of said runway, an agitator within said hopper adjacent said delivery head, and means whereby said position` ing device and said agitator are actuated.

d. in attachment for feeding cupped articles consisting of a hopper adapted to receive cupped articles in bullr, having an in clined bottom leading to an outlet opening therein, a chute through which said articles are adapted to descend by gravity, a delivery head opening into said hopper outlet, a sleeve having oppositely pitched tracks on the upper face thereof within said head and below the outlet to the hopper, the ends of said tracks being spaced apart, whereby a runway inclining towards and terminating adjacent the inlet to said chute is formed, through which articles may descend by avity from the hopper to the chute, a positioning device co-opera-ting with said deliverT head comprising a rotatable member having a cylindrical portion concentric with and within said runway and a rounded portion presented towards said hopper, and eX- tending adjacent and within the open top of said delivery head, whereby said articles are permitted to passbetween said positioning Hdevice at any point thereof and the wall of said delivery head only when the cupped side thereof is presented towardl said rounded surface, said sleeve being fixed with relation to said positioning device, anV agita-V tor within said hopper adjacent said de# livery head, and means whereby saidpositioning device and said agitator are actuated.

5. An attachment for feeding cupped articles consisting of a delivery head having a runwaytherein, a positioning device within said head comprising a rotatable member having a cylindrical portion concentric with and within said runway and a rounded portion projecting upwardly through thel opening in said head whereby Va hopper having an inclined bottom con-V verging toward the entrance passage `.to said runway, said delivery head` having a circular 4bevelled portion merging into-the bottoml of said' hopper, an agitator carried -by said positioning k device and terminating adjacent vsaid ,bevelled portion," whereby articles in said hopper will be tumbled about with the actuation of said positioning device and said agitator, and actuating means for said positioning device. Y Y

6. An attachment for feeding cupped articles consisting of a delivery head having a runway therein, a positioningdevice within said head .comprising a rotatable member having a rounded portion projecting upwardly through the Vopening insaid head, a chute leading from said head, the

inlet of which is adjacentthe lower end of said runway, a hopper having an inclined 1 bottom Vconverging toward the entrance pas-A sage to said runway, said delivery head hav-V ing a circular bevelled portion merging into the bottom of said hopper, an agitator carried by said positioning device and .terminating adjacent said bevelled portion, whereby'articles in said hopper will be .tumbled about with the actuation of Vsaid :positioning device and said'l agitator, actuating Ameansv for said positioning device, a jam breaker in said runway between the ends of said tracks and project-inginto the inlet -of said chute, and tappets carried by said positioning member and adapted to successively engage said agitating member, whereby jamming of articles at the inlet of said chute is prevented. c

7. An attachment for feeding cupped articles consisting' of a hopper adapted to receive cupped articles in bulk, having an inclined bottom leading to an outlet opening therein, a chute through which said articles are adapted to descend by gravity, a delivery head opening into said hopper outlet and having therein a runway terminating adjacent the inlet of said chute, a positioning device cooperating with said delivery head comprising a rotatable member having a rounded portion presented towards said hopper, and extending adjacent and within the open top of said delivery head, whereby said articles are permitted to pass between said positioning device and the wall of said delivery head only when the cupped side thereof is presented toward said rounded surface, an agitator within said hopper ad-`4 jacent said delivery head, means whereby 'said positioning device and said agitatorare actuated, including therein a shaft carrying said positioning device, a bushing'in which said shaft is mounted, and a support for saidl bushing, said bushing and said'support being provided with coloperating means v whereby said.: bushingand saidV shaftmay be simultaneously .raised or 'flowered yto y'change the relation of said positioningv device and said delivery head tov'vary' the width of the entrance passage to said runway. j

,. 8. Anattachrnent for feedingv cupped articles consisting Of a hopper'adapted to receive cupped ,articles in bulk, having an inclined bottom leading to anoutlet opening therein, a; chiite through which said articles are adapted tode'scen-d by gravity, a deliveryT Y head formed in two pieces, theylowerof which hasy a cylindrical opening, and the upper of which ,has an inwardly curved opening merging into` said cylindrical opening, a fixed sleeve viii-said cylindrical opening having the upperv surface thereof pitched to form an inclined runway terminating fadjacent the inlet of said-chute, a aositioning device co-operating with said de ivery Vhead* comprising a rotatablememberV having a rounded portion presented towardsfsaid hopper, 'and extending adjacent and beyond the ,open top'of thescur'ved' piece of saiddelivery head, wherebylsaid articles-are permittedto V pass between said positioning device and the wall of ysaiddelivery head only, when`l the `cupped sidetliereofV is presented ftoward? 'said ,-,rounded surface, `an agitator within v V.Seid hopper adjacent ysaid'deliveryl head, and Y said positioning device and' means whereby said agitator are actuated. j

9.y kAn attachment for feeding cupped articles embodying therein a. positioning device having a hemispheric'al top, a delivery head surrounding said positioning device having a curved wall adjacent and spaced away from the upper part of said positioning device, means forming a declining track between said positioningV device and said head, a chuteinto which said runway discharges substantially axially of said head and said positioning device, means adapted to receive cupped articles in bulk above said delivery head and said positioning device, and means tumbling the articles adjacent said position'- ing device whereby said articles, as they are positioned with the edge of the skirt toward said'positioning device, will pass into said runway." f I' l0. An attachment for feeding cupped articles embodying therein a positioningde- Vvice having a hemispherical top, a delivery eol ion`

iio

head, achute into which said runway discharges substantially axially oli said head and said positioning device, a hopper adaptedfto receive cupped articles in bulk, having a circular inclinedy `bottom converging towards said Vpositioning' device, and means tumbling the articles adjacentsaid positioning device whereby said articles, as they are positioned with the edge of the slrirt'toward said positioning device, will'passinto said runway. y .Y

11. An attachment for feeding cupped articles embodying therein apositioning device having a hemispherical top, a delivery head surrounding said positioning device having a circular bev-elled upper edge and curved wall adjacent and spaced away from the upper part of said positioning device, a hopper adapted to receive cupped articles in bulk having a circular inc-lined bottom converging towards and merging into said bevelled edge, means forming a declining track between said 'positioning device and said head, a chute into which said runway discharges substantially axially of said head and said positioning device, and an agitator comprising a bent wire carried by said positioning device, having its end vparallel with said bevelled edge and spaced away from said positioning device, whereby said articles will be positioned with the edge of the skirt towards said positioningI device and pass into f said runway and said chute.

i l2. An attachment for feeding cupped articles embodying thereinfvva delivery head having a bevelled upper edge, Va curved wall vleading downwardly thererom and a cylinifi-14,7%

-drical portion below said curved wall, a

spaced apart, a positioning member havingA a ycylindrical portion rotatably mounted in said sleeve, and a hemispherical top having a radius substantially co-incident with that of said curved wall, whereby a runway is formed above said tracks opening Yupwardly through a curved channel having an open top, a vertically extending chutev having its inlet in communication with the lower end of said runway, a hopper having a circular inclined bottom merging into the bevelled upper edge of said delivery head and adapted to receive cupped articles in bulk, an agitator carried by said positioning device projecting into said hopper and having its end parallel with said bevelled edge and spaced away from said device, a spring agitating member arranged between the ends of said tracks and projecting into the inlet of said chute, tappets carried by said device and adapted to engage said spring agitatingv member, and means rotating said device and the agitator carried thereby.

In witness whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this V18th day of April, 1921. BERTHOLD NAGY,

p STEPHEN NAGY.

Witnesses: l?. l?. VnN'rwon'rH, FRIEDA KoEHLnR.V 

